Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Peppermint-themed birthday party turns up Peeps and Pop Rocks

 Peppermint Dreyer’s
Peppermint Dreyer’s

My youngest daughter always feels ripped off at this time of year because her birthday comes just three days after Christmas. She gets a second dose of presents, but we’re usually too wiped out to do much in the way of parties. This year will be different. Her favorite holiday treat is the basic peppermint candy cane, and we’re going to try our hand at a themed party built around just that.

Jenna at San Diego Kids’ Party Rentals in Pacific Beach (858-272-2700; sandiegokidspartyrentals.com) told me she could provide a Candy Cane Girl. “Her costume is candy cane–themed. The dress has diagonal red and white stripes on it, and her gloves and boots are red with white fir trim. She can do a variety of things for you: face-painting — candy canes are an option, of course — games, balloon sculptures.”

Joe Struzzieri, owner of Royal Candy Castle in La Mesa (619-464-1850; royalcandycastle.com), told me, “We have these wonderful King Leo candy sticks ($.32 each) made by the Gilliam Candy Company. They’ve been around since 1927. We have a rack of 12 flavors; soon we’ll have 24. And, of course, we have the traditional peppermint, but we also stock off-the-wall flavors like rum and butter, sassafrass, root beer, cinnamon, and cotton candy. Oh, and I’ve been doing some research on the candy cane, and all the stories I’m finding seem to match up. They say a choirmaster at the cathedral in Cologne was trying to find a way to quiet the children in the church during the Living Crèche that they did every Christmas Eve. He asked a local candy-maker for some sweet sticks for the children, but because he was giving out candy at a worship service, he asked for a crook at the top of each stick, to remind the children of the shepherds visiting the infant Jesus in the manger. And he asked that they be white, to represent the sinless life of Jesus.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

Dawn at Beach Sweets in Ocean Beach (619-222-3322; oceanbeachsweets.com) said she had “giant candy canes [$1.50 each] that are about ten inches tall and an inch thick. We also have chocolate-dipped marshmallows [$4.25 each] that are mounted on a candy cane instead of a stick.”

At the other end of the size spectrum, I found mini candy canes in bulk at Four Seasons Candy Company in Grantville (619-528-8811; fourseasonscandy.com). “They come in tubs of 280 [$15.80],” said the clerk. I thought we might stick them to the walls and give the effect of candy-cane wallpaper. For color variations, I could find green, red, or blue candy canes, which cost $.99 each at Candy Depot in Hillcrest (619-683-2334).

Glory at the Sweet Factory in La Jolla (858-658-0298; sweetfactory.com) was all set to provide in the candy-cane novelty department. “I’ve got candy cane–style round lollipops with a red bow, or a candy-cane lollipop that looks like a swirly slide [$1.99 each]. I have a baby-bottle pop with powdered sugar on the bottom, and the nipple part looks like a candy cane [$1.49 each]. For added fun, I have candy cane–flavored Pop Rocks [$1.19 per package].”

For the gift bags, I thought I’d spring for something a little higher-end. Craig at Godiva Chocolatier in the Fashion Valley Mall (619-293-7492) sold “peppermint truffles covered with white chocolate and also dark chocolate bars with a peppermint crème center [$3.25 each].” Ghirardelli in the Gaslamp (619-234-2449) offers peppermint bark, which has a milk chocolate bottom and a white chocolate top that is flecked inside and out with candy-cane bits. Individually wrapped squares in 80-count bags are $25.95; 50-count bags run $19.95.

For the finish, I planned on serving Dreyer’s Limited Edition Peppermint ice cream ($3 for 1.5 quarts at Walmart) and candy cane–flavored Peeps dipped in chocolate ($2 for three at Walmart). And our hot chocolate could be topped with pink-and-white Kraft peppermint marshmallows ($2 for 10 oz. at Walmart).

Finally, I would pile the kids into the family van and take them for a cruise down Candy Cane Lane in Poway (facebook.com/pages/candy-cane-lane) for a Christmas light show. The residents have a tradition of decking out their homes in spectacular fashion.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Reader Music Issue short takes

Obervatory's mosh pit, frenetic Rafael Payare, Lemonhead chaos, bleedforthescene, Coronado Tasting Room
 Peppermint Dreyer’s
Peppermint Dreyer’s

My youngest daughter always feels ripped off at this time of year because her birthday comes just three days after Christmas. She gets a second dose of presents, but we’re usually too wiped out to do much in the way of parties. This year will be different. Her favorite holiday treat is the basic peppermint candy cane, and we’re going to try our hand at a themed party built around just that.

Jenna at San Diego Kids’ Party Rentals in Pacific Beach (858-272-2700; sandiegokidspartyrentals.com) told me she could provide a Candy Cane Girl. “Her costume is candy cane–themed. The dress has diagonal red and white stripes on it, and her gloves and boots are red with white fir trim. She can do a variety of things for you: face-painting — candy canes are an option, of course — games, balloon sculptures.”

Joe Struzzieri, owner of Royal Candy Castle in La Mesa (619-464-1850; royalcandycastle.com), told me, “We have these wonderful King Leo candy sticks ($.32 each) made by the Gilliam Candy Company. They’ve been around since 1927. We have a rack of 12 flavors; soon we’ll have 24. And, of course, we have the traditional peppermint, but we also stock off-the-wall flavors like rum and butter, sassafrass, root beer, cinnamon, and cotton candy. Oh, and I’ve been doing some research on the candy cane, and all the stories I’m finding seem to match up. They say a choirmaster at the cathedral in Cologne was trying to find a way to quiet the children in the church during the Living Crèche that they did every Christmas Eve. He asked a local candy-maker for some sweet sticks for the children, but because he was giving out candy at a worship service, he asked for a crook at the top of each stick, to remind the children of the shepherds visiting the infant Jesus in the manger. And he asked that they be white, to represent the sinless life of Jesus.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

Dawn at Beach Sweets in Ocean Beach (619-222-3322; oceanbeachsweets.com) said she had “giant candy canes [$1.50 each] that are about ten inches tall and an inch thick. We also have chocolate-dipped marshmallows [$4.25 each] that are mounted on a candy cane instead of a stick.”

At the other end of the size spectrum, I found mini candy canes in bulk at Four Seasons Candy Company in Grantville (619-528-8811; fourseasonscandy.com). “They come in tubs of 280 [$15.80],” said the clerk. I thought we might stick them to the walls and give the effect of candy-cane wallpaper. For color variations, I could find green, red, or blue candy canes, which cost $.99 each at Candy Depot in Hillcrest (619-683-2334).

Glory at the Sweet Factory in La Jolla (858-658-0298; sweetfactory.com) was all set to provide in the candy-cane novelty department. “I’ve got candy cane–style round lollipops with a red bow, or a candy-cane lollipop that looks like a swirly slide [$1.99 each]. I have a baby-bottle pop with powdered sugar on the bottom, and the nipple part looks like a candy cane [$1.49 each]. For added fun, I have candy cane–flavored Pop Rocks [$1.19 per package].”

For the gift bags, I thought I’d spring for something a little higher-end. Craig at Godiva Chocolatier in the Fashion Valley Mall (619-293-7492) sold “peppermint truffles covered with white chocolate and also dark chocolate bars with a peppermint crème center [$3.25 each].” Ghirardelli in the Gaslamp (619-234-2449) offers peppermint bark, which has a milk chocolate bottom and a white chocolate top that is flecked inside and out with candy-cane bits. Individually wrapped squares in 80-count bags are $25.95; 50-count bags run $19.95.

For the finish, I planned on serving Dreyer’s Limited Edition Peppermint ice cream ($3 for 1.5 quarts at Walmart) and candy cane–flavored Peeps dipped in chocolate ($2 for three at Walmart). And our hot chocolate could be topped with pink-and-white Kraft peppermint marshmallows ($2 for 10 oz. at Walmart).

Finally, I would pile the kids into the family van and take them for a cruise down Candy Cane Lane in Poway (facebook.com/pages/candy-cane-lane) for a Christmas light show. The residents have a tradition of decking out their homes in spectacular fashion.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Angry Pete’s goes from pop-up to drive-thru

Detroit Pizza sidles into the husk of a shuttered Taco Bell
Next Article

Reader Music Issue short takes

Obervatory's mosh pit, frenetic Rafael Payare, Lemonhead chaos, bleedforthescene, Coronado Tasting Room
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.